Olympics in London

I just happened to be thinking about the Olympics today and a memory hit me, so you get to share.

The 1908 games (IV Olympiad of the modern games) were held in London in 1908 and were very contentious. The trouble started early and continued all the way through the Marathon. The trouble started when US officials noticed there was no United States flag displayed with the others. Neither was Sweden’s, they stormed out of the stadium.

But all’s well that ends well. A new piece of US flag protocol came out of this contretemps.

U.S. flag bearer and discus champion Martin Sheridan responded by refusing to dip the Stars and Stripes when he passed King Edward VII‘s box in the parade of athletes. “This flag dips to no earthly king, or potentate” Sheridan said. And it hasn’t since.

A Reminder of Our Heritage

In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin.

But this is predicated upon the person’s becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American…There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn’t an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag… We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language.. And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people

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You have a great love of history and liturgy. You’re attached to the traditions of the ancients, yet you recognize that the old world — great as it was — is passing away. You are loyal to the customs of your family, though you do not hesitate to call family members to account for their sins.